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2. United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
3. Mississippi Valley Division
4. Rock Island District
5. Environmental Documents

Title:	Upper Mississisippi River System Environmental Management Program Definite Project Report with Integrated Environmental Assessment (R-14F) : Lake Odessa Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project
Authors:	United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Rock Island District
Keywords:	Restoration ecology Environmental protection Environmental management Wetlands Lake Odessa (Iowa)
Publisher:	United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Rock Island District.
Abstract:	The Lake Odessa Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project (HREP) is located 15 miles south of Muscatine, Iowa, on the right descending bank of the Mississippi River between river miles (RM) 434.5 and 441.5. The project lies in Louisa County, Iowa and encompasses the federally owned lands between the Iowa River on the south and Michael Creek on the north. All project lands are in Federal ownership and are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as part of the Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The USFWS has granted management of the project’s lower half to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) through a cooperative agreement. The Lake Odessa area was originally leveed off for agricultural purposes in 1913. Active wildlife management began in the mid-1950s with efforts to manipulate water levels to promote vegetative growth and provide high quality resting and feeding areas for migratory waterfowl. Levee overtopping and generally inadequate water level management capabilities often compromised these efforts. While Lake Odessa has traditionally had high fall duck and geese populations and significant duck production, levee breaks have resulted in frequent losses of emergent aquatic vegetation and mast trees when flooding is prolonged. Sedimentation from the flood events has decreased deep aquatic habitat, which reduces circulation of oxygenated water and increases the possibility of fish kills. The goals of the proposed project are to restore and protect wetland, terrestrial, and aquatic habitat. The objectives identified to meet these goals were: (1) reduce forest fragmentation; (2) increase bottomland hardwood diversity; (3) enhance migratory bird habitat; (4) restore sand prairie; (5) increase habitat for overwintering fish; (6) provide safe areas for developing fish; (7) protect habitat features; and (8) protect archeological sites.
Description:	Definite Project Report with Integrated Environmental Assessment
Rights:	Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited
URI:	https://hdl.handle.net/11681/47909
Appears in Collections:	Environmental Documents